Top 5 signings made by Pep Guardiola at Barcelona
The Guardiola-era has been the most glorious spell in Barcelona's magnificent history. In his four seasons at the club, he won an unbelievable number of trophies, including three Spanish leagues and two Champions Leagues. In those four years they won 14 out of a possible 19 trophies, an unparalleled achievement in footballing history.
Much of his success can be accredited to Barca's fabled youth academy, La Masia. After all, eight players in Barcelona's usual starting XI were homegrown. However, the real test for any Barca manager has been the ability to mix this homegrown talent with top quality imports.
Signing players at Barcelona is exceptionally hard, not only must the players be extraordinarily talented, they must suit the club's philosophy, having what they call the Barca DNA. Pep has made some exceptional signings who ended up contributing for the team's overall success. Here are the top five.
#5 Alexis Sanchez - 2011
Signed from Italian side Udinese for €23.4 million, Sanchez became the first Chilean to play for Barcelona. Sanchez said that he would like to learn from the great players at Barcelona and would also like to win silverware with them after making the move.
He helped the Catalans do exactly that, with a league title, Copa del Rey victory, and a Fifa Club World Cup among the many honours collected in his time at the club.
Sanchez moved to the English Premier League side Arsenal FC and became one of the most enthralling players in England. The one thing that kept him so down on the list is that his time working with Pep at Barca was just one season. He could have won more titles, at the cost of game time or the spotlight perhaps; instead, he became Arsenal’s MVP at the cost of endless trophies.
Now at Manchester United, Sanchez will want to improve on his poor start at the club and win some more silverware while he is still at his peak.